Cat in the Box
by Jane Poirot
Summary: Re-write of "Eye of the Storm", Ep7 AU: Can one person exist without contradicting the existence of the other? Such is the question that must be answered to determine who is the child from nineteen years ago and to protect an innocent third party.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine. "Eye of the Storm", I felt, was good though I could've done better with it. It was this thought, along with random musings of one character from that story meeting a canon character from Ep7, that this re-write began. This will keep the same basic plot points as the original, but the story will be almost entirely different. I don't want to give away TOO much, but I can say that while the original was a hypothetical post-series scenario, this will take place directly during the events of Ep7, and take Ep7 in a slightly different direction. So in that sense, this can also be considered as an AU. You don't need to have read the original in order to understand this.

A few more notes before beginning: 1) First and most importantly, NO EP8 SPOILERS IN THE REVIEWS PLEASE. Not even as a joke. If I have the characters say something unintentionally ironic relating to Ep8 revelations, DON'T give it away in reviews OR PMs. Chuckle about it to yourself, or amongst friends, but to my face, may I repeat, NO. SPOILERS. 2) This will contain accurate Ep7 SPOILERS, but I assume most of you have either read through Ep7 by now, or have spoiled yourselves rotten. So you most likely know about a heartbreaking revelation about two, or one, character(s) that might also hold up true in this. Or maybe not. And 3) One similarity this shares with the original is that the second chapter earns this story its M rating, and the scene in question may or may not be more graphic than the original. You have been warned.

Oh, and happy Passover!

* * *

><p>1<p>

One eye open.

This was not the cousins' room.

Another eye open.

This was not her room.

The walls, pink and rosy, were unfamiliar.

The floor, hard and wooden beneath her back, felt strange.

Where was she?

She let out a groan and sat up. It did not feel as though she had woken up from a deep sleep. Rather, it was like waking up from a nap. Her entire body felt heavy, her eyelids did not seem to want to fully open, and her mouth was dry. And, she was hungry. But Gohda's dinner had been especially filling that night. So why should she be hungry now?

She was alerted by the sound of a door opening. Who was there? Was it a friend or foe? Was it the person who had trapped her here? Or was it an ally coming to rescue her?

The door slowly opened…

* * *

><p>"Well, thank goodness <em>that<em> was over with, ihihi!"

"Ah, but I _did_ want to stay for the cakes, and the candies…"

"Which Ronove makes for you all the time anyway. It's amazing you haven't gotten so _fat_ yet…or maybe it all just went to your cow tits, ihihi—gah!"

The newly-wed couple, Battler and Beato, were taking a stroll through the garden and chatting about their wedding. It had been both stressful and miraculous. If Beato had been one second too late in finding out the truth and freeing Battler from that closed room…

With a swish of his sorcerer cape, Battler said, "So, Beato, what do you say we go up to our room now and consummate this marriage?"

Beato blushed and she took on a shyer tone. "I was looking forward to seeing the roses again…"

"Ah, I guess we can stay out a bit longer," shrugged Battler. "You know, I wonder what will be in store for us in the next game. I heard rumours that Bernkastel might be the next game master. Knowing her, she'll probably have something sadistic up her sleeve…"

Beato noticed a silhouette through one of the windows, which she spotted even in the darkness illuminated by the golden butterflies. "Is someone in there?"

"Eh?" Battler took a look through the window. "Hey, it looks like Ronove's serving someone some tea. I can't make out the other person, but they look kind of familiar…maybe we could go inside and see who it is."

* * *

><p>"More tea?"<p>

Jessica took a sip from the cup. "No thank you," she said. She placed the cup down on the saucer. She was still a bit anxious as to what she was doing here, but she felt slightly at ease to be treated as a guest rather than a prisoner. She had been a bit scared to find Ronove standing in the doorway, but he had been very kind and gracious to her. He seemed like a real gentleman.

Or maybe he was just putting her at ease so he could so something to her…

"Are you the one who brought me here?" said Jessica sharply. "If so, then you've got one minute to say what it is you want, or else…" She slid one hand up her sleeve to slip on her brass knuckles.

"Rest assured, I am not the one responsible for your presence," said Ronove. He placed the teapot down on the tray alongside the cookies. "I was surprised to see you here, actually. It is a pleasure to meet with you once more."

"Eh? What's _that_ supposed to mean?" said Jessica in the same, sharp tone. Her instincts were telling her this man could be trusted, but all the same, she wasn't willing to take any chances.

"We fought together in one of milady's games," Ronove went on, "and worked alongside each other in the last one."

"Games? What games?" demanded Jessica. The more she inquired, the fishier these answers became.

Surprised, Ronove said, "You mean you _weren't_ brought here by milady, or Lady Bernkastel, as new pieces?"

"Bernkastel…pieces…" muttered Jessica. It was slowly coming to her now. _Bernkastel…_the name sounded familiar…

Just then, two people came walking into the parlour, and froze upon seeing Jessica sitting there. "J, _Jessica?" _burst out Battler. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"I was just asking the same thing," said Jessica. She looked to Battler's left and noticed an actually very adorable-looking Beatrice standing right beside him. _"Beatrice?"_ she said in disbelief. "So everything Maria was going on about was _true?"_

"Indeed," said Beato, now taking on her former persona, "I, the Golden Witch Beatrice, am delighted to see a new piece in my home. I wonder, who called you here?" In a flash, she switched over to a look and tone of suspicion and worry. "If it was that Bernkastel…"

"That name again," muttered Jessica. If this Bernkastel person was so important, had _she_ been the one to bring her here?

Not sure what to make of the situation, Battler cleared his throat and said, "Ah, so…so you really have no idea how you got here at all?"

"No, "said Jessica with a shake of her head. "The last thing I remember is going to bed in the room we share. Maria had read this really creepy letter out loud to us at dinnertime, and I was still wondering what it meant. Then, I had these really strange nightmares where everyone was killed…right before I woke up here, the last thing I saw were two, cackling witches."

"By any chance," said Battler, "did either of these witches have blue hair and a cat tail, or dressed in all pink?"

"Yes, actually," nodded Jessica. "Why?"

"_Bernkastel,"_ said Battler darkly. _"She_ must have been the one to summon you here, along with Lady Lambdadelta. Keep your guard up, Jessica. We can only imagine what _they_ have in store for you."

"For now," said Ronove, "would you like it if we were to make you feel more comfortable? We don't know how long you're going to stay here, so it would only be appropriate for you to settle right in."

"Th, thank you," said Jessica slowly. Then, "You know, you remind me of someone…"

"Perhaps my younger brother," said Ronove. "Will you be taking a cookie, or shall I take this away?"

Jessica took two cookies. "Thank you. That will be all."

* * *

><p>Beato and Battler had decided to show Jessica around the mansion for a bit. Their honeymoon could wait. For now, they needed to have the new player get accommodated.<p>

"Oh, you'll get used to things around here, all right," said the playful demon Gaap, phantom thief of valuables and best friend to Beato. "Just wait till you get a taste of Rono's cookies!"

"Now Gaap, behave yourself for our guest," warned Virgilia. She smoothed out the front of her dress, yet Jessica struggled to see any hands doing the smoothing.

Gaap smiled pleasantly and disappeared into a black hole just in time for a series of stakes to come flying through the air and narrowly miss piercing Jessica.

"Good evening, new visitor!" they unanimously declared as they each transformed into attractive young women wearing revealing outfits.

"Uh…hello?" said Jessica awkwardly. The more she got to know the people in this place, the weirder they got.

"Ahh, it's good to be the furniture of Lady Beatrice again~" sang Beelzebub. "It was so sad without you around…"

"Kya~, we're so glad to see you and Battler finally got past your blatantly obvious sexual tension and got married!" squealed Asmodeus.

_Sexual tension? Married? Wha…_

"Long story, we'll explain later," said Battler as if reading Jessica's mind. "Right now, I think it's about time we _all_ headed for bed."

* * *

><p>Virgilia led Jessica to her room, back to the one she had woken up in. Jessica had a feeling she knew this woman from elsewhere…<p>

"I apologize for this sudden inconvenience," said Virgilia as she showed Jessica the wardrobe. "I'm afraid I don't know just how long you'll be here for."

Jessica wandered around the room, still in a slight daze. This couldn't be real. She had to be dreaming.

"Will you need anything else?" said Virgilia. "Would you like to be showed around a bit more?" She smiled slightly. "Or perhaps you would enjoy some roasted mackerel?"

Jessica shook her hand. "No. I'll be fine from here. Good night."

"Good night," said Virgilia. She walked out and closed the door behind her. Her smile dropped and she began to worry.

"Bernkastel," she whispered, "what is it you have planned for these children?"

* * *

><p>The nightgown's fabric felt loose and smooth on Jessica's skin as she sat up in bed and thought about her situation. The more she thought about it, the closer she came to the conclusion that all this had to be some sort of crazy dream she was having. Yes, it was a dream and nothing more.<p>

Yet she didn't get the same, drifting feeling she had when she realized she was dreaming. She felt very much "there". Perhaps this dream was more realistic than most.

"I'll sleep for now," she muttered, her eyelids growing heavy. "Tomorrow, I will wake up with the cousins…I will ask George about Shannon…I will keep Battler's pervert hands away from every other female on the island…and I will ask Maria to talk about something other than Beatrice…"

She closed her eyes, and began to drift off to sleep, unaware this "dream" was soon to become a battle for the survival of not only herself, but also for her entire family.


	2. Chapter 2

2

Battler and Beato were both surprised and pleased to see the bed sheets neatly made up for them, with Ronove standing proud. The blue blankets with their fleur-de-lis pattern nicely complimented the red curtains upon the canopy. It gave them a giddy excitement to think that within the next few minutes, they'd finally be able to consummate their marriage.

Yet Battler felt a feeling of nervousness. Although he had gone out with a few girls before, the further he ever gone was kissing. Eventually, they would realize they had very little common interest or foundation in their relationship beyond physical attraction, and break up. Upon reuniting with a few of his old friends when he moved back in with Rudolf, he had learned that two of them had lost their virginity during the six years he was gone for, but he didn't feel any envy towards them for it. It wasn't that he wasn't interested in sex—far from it—but that he hadn't met a girl whom he actually wanted to do it with.

He looked over at Beato. Bits of golden hair were coming undone, loosely framing her face in wisps. If anyone had told him this year's trip to the island would result in him coming face-to-face with something that should not exist, he would've scoffed at them. If anyone had told him it would result in him trying to solve the murder of his relatives over and over again, he would've laughed at them. But if anyone had told him it would result in a series of complicated circumstances that would culminate in the loss of his virginity, he would've asked what the hell they were smoking.

_Damn it,_ thought Battler, his stomach suddenly in knots, _I'm actually going to dive in to this…with Beato…how can this be happening? She's technically a virgin, right? Well, obviously, I mean, my suspicions about her and the old geezer were off…technically…ah, it's useless, it's all—_

"Is this to your liking, Master Battler?"

"Eh?" Battler snapped out of his train of thought to find Ronove in his personal bubble with a grin seeking approval. "Ah, yes, yes this is great. Thank you, Ronove."

Ronove turned to Beato. "And will this be comfortable enough for you, Lady Beatrice?"

"Indeed, Ronove," mused Beato, "I think this will be just suitable for all the _fun_ Battler and I will be getting up to…" She grinned wickedly in Battler's direction. He let out a weak, "Ihihihi…."

"I shall leave you two be, then," said Ronove. "Good night to you both."

Battler felt his palms sweat. He was becoming more anxious to the point where he barely heard Ronove closing the door and leaving the couple alone.

"So," said Beato suddenly, "Jessica. I wonder what she's doing here…"

"If Bernkastel was the one to bring her here," said Battler as he walked across the room towards the bed, "I hope she's not planning on anything sadistic."

Beato stifled a laugh. "Bernkastel? Not planning anything sadistic? That's as believable as saying Ronove gets in your face because there's a crumb on your cheek he needs to wipe off, heh heh…."

"Ah…right," said Battler slowly. Ignoring the last part about Ronove, he said, "But why would Bernkastel take an interest in Jessica? She has nothing to do with the game, apart from being a part of the Ushiromiya family."

"And that is why she, along with everyone else, has everything to do with this game," pointed out Beato.

The two sat down on the bed together. For the first few minutes, nothing happened. They sat and contemplated what it was they were about to do. There was something unreal about finally taking this step in their relationship. It was like being a swimmer about to jump off the diving board for the very first time: Excitement, anxiety, and a fear of going too fast or taking the wrong diving method.

And as for Jessica…they still weren't sure how to handle her presence. She knew nothing about this game, or of the witches' plot. All she knew was that one minute she was in her world with a happy family; the next she was in an entirely different world about to learn her family was brutally murdered in other worlds. How could they explain something like _this_ to her? For that matter, where would they even _begin?_

"This'll be one hell of a story for Jessica tomorrow morning," commented Battler. He swung his feet against the bed.

"Yes, tomorrow morning," murmured Beato. She turned to Battler with the corners of her mouth turned up into something resembling a seductive grin. "But for tonight…"

She cupped Battler's face with both hands. "Let us focus on making this honeymoon ours for tonight," she whispered before leaning in and kissing him. He allowed her lips to linger on his for a minute or two before parting.

"What is it?" said Beato, looking both surprised and a bit disappointed.

"My shoes," said Battler. With a sheepish smile, he took off his shoes and flung them aside, his face burning. Why did he have to interrupt it when it was just about to get good? Why couldn't he have dove in first and given the shoes some afterthought later?

On the other hand, he couldn't quite remember hearing any stories about men who had sex with their shoes still on. Not that it would've gotten _that_ far _before_ the shoes came off, but…

Battler heard a soft thump on the floor. That had to be Beato removing her own shoes, though not as delicately as Battler had. At least she still had the same, childish spirit as the original Beato.

Battler was bowled over by Beato kissing him ferociously on the mouth and pushing him down onto the bed. She parted her lips ever so slightly, making sure to brush them very softly enough for him to feel it and realize her intentions.

She felt his own lips part, and she slipped her tongue into Battler's mouth, which took him by surprise. None of the girls he had dated had ever been _this_ forward. Ah, well, it felt good and strange at the same time, so how could he complain?

Her tongue lingered in his mouth a few seconds longer before she removed it—slowly and smoothly against his tongue, against his teeth, against his lips—and lifted herself off of him. She stifled a laugh at his startled expression. "Wow, that was pretty, um…blunt," he said. "But there's something not quite right about this."

"Oh?" said Beato. "And what's that?"

She noticed his eyes were observing her gown intently, and she had a feeling as to what it was, and he said it: "We're both still clothed. Who do you think should take care of that first?"

The grin on Beato's face grew wider. "O-h," she said, "it's been a while since you've seen me naked, hasn't it, Battler~?"

"Shut up," was Battler's reply, and he took her by the hand to sweep her right off the bed standing up. His hands reached around her back, searching for the right place to begin undressing her. He could not quite find the right spot and grunted with frustration.

"Is my dress too complicated, Battler?" teased Beato.

"N—no, it's not," grunted Battler. But the more he fumbled, the more obvious it became he had no idea where the dress began or ended. Beato laughed, but still she took pity on the poor man and said, "Let _me_ do it."

She took a step back and slowly began to take off the dress herself. Battler _should_ have felt foolish for not seeing the most obvious of solutions presented before him, but he was observing her careful, delicate hands slowly remove the dress, those slender fingers that tugged at her sleeves and briefly caressed her bare shoulders, and the brief hesitance those hands showed before allowing the garments to hit the floor, leaving her standing in only her panties and nothing more.

Battler felt his breath quicken in his throat as she stepped closer to him. "Now then," she said, "let's see what _you_ look like with no clothes on, hmm?"

She pressed her breasts against his arm, causing him to gulp and think, _Keep it in your pants for just a few more minutes; it's not that much longer now…_

She helped in removing his sorcerer's cloak. Her fingers played with the drawstrings teasingly, and she made sure to lean in at the right angle for him to get a good view of her cleavage. "You just love to torment me like this, don't you, Beato?" growled Battler softly.

"How long did it take you to figure it out?" said Beato as she tossed the cloak aside on top of her discarded dress. The teasing between them eased up the anxiety and helped them feel more relaxed and ready for what was to come. Of course, playful banter would not be the _only _teasing to occur.

As Beato played with the zipper on Battler's jacket, she wrapped one leg around his and brushed it against her panties. "Ah, j—just get it…over…with…!" gasped Battler. This was all too arousing for him, too soon, and he could tell from Beato's soft cackling she was enjoying every second of this.

Finally, once his jacket was off, Battler broke away from Beato and said, "Ah…I think I can handle the rest myself."

Beato pouted. "Fine." She lay down on the bed sprawled on her back. "But be quick, okay?" She reached over in the back and began to undo her bun while waiting for Battler to get undressed.

As Battler began to remove his vest, he tried to avert his eyes. He had been waiting for this moment, he _wanted_ it. So why was this having such an effect on him? Long before he had met Beato, he had his share of wet dreams in the early years of puberty, some more straightforward on sex than others. In his dreams, he was a bold, sexy Casanova ready to pleasure a woman however she desired. In real life—or _something_ resembling real life—he still felt as though he were peeking on a woman changing.

Snap out of it! he told himself. This is your wedding night! You're _supposed_ to see her naked!

He tossed the vest aside, then pulled his shirt off over his head. He turned back to Beato. By now, her bun had come undone, and her long, golden hair fell loose down her back, and her shoulders. She had a most seductive grin while using one finger to slowly remove her panties, pink and laced.

"Wait, wait, keep them on just one more second," muttered Battler as he got down on the bed. He crawled towards Beato and did something unexpected: He leaned right over the panties, and lifted up the edges with his teeth. He slid them down as far as her knees before letting go and sitting up to remove them the rest of the way with his hands.

"My, my, you _are_ full of surprises tonight, aren't you Battler?" mused Beato.

"What? You underestimated me?" said Battler. He began to remove his pants. "How foolish, Beato, how foolish."

Beato began to let out a most inelegant laugh—then stopped when she felt one hand slide up her thigh slowly…the fingers tickling the skin as they neared closer…closer…

"_Damn_ it," muttered Beato, and she took two of those fingers and slid them up faster. She loosened her grip and allowed for Battler to lightly tease her sensitive, soft skin. He gently slipped his fingers inside her and listened to her let out a long, satisfied moan. Well, she _felt_ wet, and her legs were trembling slightly, so that meant she _had_ to be satisfied, right? If there was anything useful the old bastard had taught him, it was "the talk" they had when Battler was eleven. Rudolf had not stopped at explaining the mechanics of sex and how it led to baby-making

(Wait, was thinking about baby-making such a good idea _now?)_

and had gone on to explain the various "techniques" to please a woman should he ever lose his virginity. One thing he remembered him saying was that a woman can easily fake it by moaning loudly, but paying attention to her body language would help to see if his technique was good or not.

_Damn you, old bastard,_ thought Battler. Somewhere, his father was laughing; he just knew it. Finally, he felt one finger reach a small bump known as the clitoris and he lightly massaged it with that finger. Beato's moans had subsided and instead she breathed softly in anticipation.

_I wonder…should I surprise her?_ thought Battler suddenly. It was tempting to show her he was capable of more than just this alone, but once again his gentlemanly instincts kicked in and he said, "Hey, Beato…do you mind if I try something else?"

"Oh?" said Beato. "Like what?"

Battler slid his fingers out and used his hands to raise both of her legs over his shoulders. His eyes met hers and she laughed, "I thought you'd _never_ ask!"

She leaned her head on the pillow and closed her eyes, allowing her senses to guide her. She felt something smooth, flat, warm, and wet sliding across her vulva, playing around the skin, lightly exploring the insides. She breathed in sharply. As much as she had used her bold demeanour to hide it, she, too, had been nervous about their wedding night. They had pretty much rushed into it, though she was glad she had…"crashed" was such a harsh word, more like…_invited herself_ to Erika and Battler's wedding.

Of all the memories she had re-gained, the ones she were most conflicted about were her recollections of a promise to come back on a white horse. Battler had not been so successful in fulfilling that promise, had he? But it didn't mean he didn't love her…right? And he still loved her, even after learning the answer to that riddle:

"Who am I?"

"Huh?"

Beato opened her eyes and realized she had said those words out loud. Battler had stopped what he was doing when he heard her say this, and it alarmed him. Had she forgotten who she was so soon? Would he have to interrupt their wedding night? Why was it that just when it seemed they were within reach of happiness something _else_ had to come up?

Beato noticed Battler beginning to sit up. She quickly said, "It's nothing. Please, go back."

"You're sure?" said Battler worriedly.

Beato massaged the back of his head with one foot. "Of course."

She lay back and waited for Battler to resume. When he did, she felt an overwhelming sensation of pleasure begin to rise within her…rising…rising…

One, smooth flick of the tongue against the clitoris.

That was all it took to give Beato cause to shake violently, feel an intense shiver within, to call out Battler's name. Yes, _this_ was what it should be about; _this_ should not have any worries about memories, or anxiety about what witches were planning to do with a new guest.

This was about them having _their_ night, and _theirs_ alone.

Beato opened her eyes as soon as it was over. She breathed heavily as she felt her legs being lowered onto the sheets, and she sat up at the same time Battler did. Her eyes moved to a bulge in his underwear and she smirked, though her heart skipped a beat. If he was aroused, and she was aroused…did that mean they were ready to do this?

She crawled over closer to him. She buried her face in his shoulder and murmured, "Battler, Battler, Battler…"

Battler wasn't exactly sure how to respond to this. "Eh…Beato?"

"Are we ready now?" she said. She sounded almost disappointed.

"I guess so," said Battler, looking down at his erection. "Unless you want to do more…?"

Beato lifted her head up. "Maybe," she muttered. "Just a bit more…"

She seemed a bit melancholic. Battler traced one hand over her right breast. "I haven't gotten around to _these_ yet, if you want me to…"

"Yes!" burst out Beato a little loudly.

Battler laughed, "Oh, Beato, you never cease to be so tsundora, ihihi!"

He kissed down her neck, down her collarbone, and to her breasts. Things were beginning to ease up now. It was almost like old times, with sex taking the place of arguing over the existence of witches.

Or had it subconsciously been on their minds all along?

_Nah, I'm reading too much into it,_ thought Battler as he kissed right across the skin, and lightly licked and sucked.

"So gentle, yet so perverted," sighed Beato.

"Shut up," muttered Battler as he abruptly stopped. He looked right into her adorably large blue eyes and said, "Now…you want to do something to _me,_ or should we do this now?"

It only took two seconds for Battler to begin to feel regret over every saying those words.

A huge grin twitched across Beato's face and she let out a throaty, inelegant chuckle. _Oh crap,_ thought Battler. "J—just nothing involving chains or collars, okay?" he quickly said.

"But there _are_ no chains or collars in here, Battler," reminded Beato. "Ah, too bad…I'll have to remind Ronove to bring some next time, kyahahaha~!"

She slid one finger down his back slowly, and he thought, _Hey, this isn't so bad. Maybe she's really not as big of a pervert as I once thought her to—gah!_

Something long and thing…no, _two_ things long and thin…had slid down his boxers, in between his crack and were trying to make their way into his anus. He gasped when they actually succeeded in entering. "Gah—Be—a—to—glurgh!"

Beato chuckled, then removed those two fingers and used them to remove his boxers. "Ah, well, I've had my fun," she sighed. "And now…"

Her playful demeanour vanished when she realized this was it. After all that foreplay, all that build-up, it had finally come to this. She didn't expect herself to be shaking, nor did she expect a lump in her throat to form when she looked into Battler's eyes to see he was feeling the same overwhelming happiness she was feeling. At last, their moment had come.

But how long would this happiness last?

"I'm ready," spoke up Battler. "I'll go if _you're_ ready. Are you, Beato?"

Beato did not answer. She looked down and played with her fingers. She was soaking down there. Physically, she was ready. Her heart was racing. Emotionally, she was absolutely ready.

So why was putting that into words so hard?

She looked back up into his eyes. "Beato?" said Battler.

Beato took Battler's legs and spread them apart. She scooted in closer. "Beato," breathed Battler, "are you…?"

She got into his lap, wrapped both legs around his body, and slid herself onto his erection, and he let out a slight gasp. "Does this answer your question?" she whispered in his ear.

"It's useless, it's all useless," Battler whispered back. Then, he kissed her firmly and wrapped his arms around her waist while she wrapped his around his shoulders. The palm of their hands against each other's skin felt warm and smooth. The beating of their hearts against each other's chests felt fast yet steady. The feeling of being in each other's arms felt overwhelmingly beautiful and ecstatic.

Battler began to rock slowly and kissed Beato down her chin. "A little faster," she murmured. Battler obeyed and the pacing began to pick up. She wanted to ask him to go even faster, but she was too overcome with passion to want to ruin the moment by speaking out loud. She wanted to enjoy this for as long as possible.

The two held on for as long as they could until finally, they reached a point where they both called out each other's names, felt a spilling of bodily fluids, and their heads collapsed onto each other's shoulders. It was over, but they weren't entirely ready for it to be over.

"Just a little longer," Beato whispered in his ear, "stay inside me just a little longer, okay?"

Battler did not respond. He just held her closer and whispered sweet nothings in her ear. This was pure bliss, pure euphoria. That their thighs were drenched with each other's fluids was a thought ignored. This was even better than how he had ever imagined his first time to go.

Of course, he hadn't imagined his first time to come after a series of complicated events involving the repeated murder of his family, but then again, who did?

"My legs are numb," muttered Battler.

"I don't care," said Beato. She nuzzled her nose against his neck.

"You're such a child, Beato," laughed Battler. "But I love you."

He realized it hadn't been until now he could say it, and his ears burned. How could he not have said those words sooner?"

"I love you too, you big idiot," said Beato. She kissed him on the cheek and gently slid herself off of him. "Let's sleep now. I'm tired."

The husband and wife got under the covers and snuggled up next to each other. "We should do this more often, Battler," she muttered.

"Yeah," sighed Battler. He was getting a bit drowsy himself. "We should."

He placed her head on his chest and closed his eyes. _Could life get any better?_ was his last coherent thought before drifting off into a peaceful sleep next to the woman he loved.


	3. Chapter 3

3

Jessica had still been in doubt of whether or not this was a dream when she had gone to bed the night before. Now, as she opened up her eyes to unfamiliar, golden walls and stirred beneath satin sheets, she became certain this was _not_ a dream. No, the sensation of the smooth nightgown against her skin was too realistic for it to be a dream.

She yawned and sat up in bed. "Oh yeah," she muttered, "Weird battle…strange game…Battler and Beatrice…they're married now, aren't they?"

She sat for the next few minutes as she began to take in that this was just as real as the lingering feeling inside of her that she was not invited for a simple tea party.

* * *

><p>Jessica had finished her breakfast downstairs just as Battler and Beato came down, fully dressed and sharing a knowing smile with one another. It still felt weird to think that the Golden Witch Beatrice not only existed, but was married to her cousin and was more of a child than she was an all-powerful witch who could turn into a golden butterfly.<p>

"Good morning!" greeted Jessica right after swallowing her last spoonful of porridge. She likened Ronove's cooking skills to Gohda's, only with a bit more sugar.

"Good morning to you, Jessica!" said Battler. He plopped onto the nearest chair. "Aaaahh, I think we might get used to having you around after all, ihihihi!"

"I'm still getting used to it," admitted Jessica. "And I'll probably still have to get used to you having a wife." Then, "You two look _especially_ happy this morning."

"Why _wouldn't_ we?" Beato purred. She pulled Battler in for a smothering hug. "The Golden Witch and the Endless Sorcerer—what a pair! Together, we'll show Bernkastel what happens when she dares to cross _us,_ kyahahaha!"

"Eh? I thought we were just going to put on a fancy show with a multi-coloured rainbow of truths and go home," said Battler, trying to wriggle out of her grasp.

"Red, blue, gold," sang Beato, "what beautiful colours!"

"Huh?" asked Jessica. This was getting more confusing by the minute.

"Long story short," said Battler, "red is the truth—well, sort of, it's complicated—blue is a theory, and gold is…is…well, it can only be spoken if you know the tricks of the game for sure, but again, it's complicated…"

"What part of this world _isn't_ complicated?" remarked Jessica.

"Ronove's cooking," said Beelzebub as she dashed into the dining room with a croissant in hand, Gaap chasing after her.

Jessica took a sip of tea. Sweet, warm, nice and soothing down the throat. She still felt a sense of unease about this place, but she had a feeling she might adjust to her current circumstances just fine without too much trouble.

"Did you know _I_ figured out the solution to "Murder on the Orient Express" before _he_ did?" boasted Beato. She let Battler free out of her grasp and he scoffed, "Please. I was just going easy on you."

"Right, right, _he_ was the one who thought the victim wasn't actually killed with a knife at all, and that the wounds were caused by small bombs, ri~ght?" teased Beato.

"_Small bombs?"_ said Jessica. "Do I even…"

"She's never going to let me live that one down," sighed Battler as he slumped in his chair. "It's useless, it's all useless!"

"She's perfect for you, all right," said Jessica with a grin. "It's about time you found a girlfriend who can challenge you!"

"Yeah, Beato's a challenge all right, ihihihi!" laughed Battler. He began to dig in to the croissants on his plate.

"It's still weird to see you married," admitted Jessica. "I still remember you as the boy from six years ago who would use those cheesy, butchered English lines on just about anyone. Ah, you said a _lot_ of stupid stuff six years ago, didn't you?"

"I…sure did," said Battler nervously. He began to dig into the croissant a bit faster.

"What were some of them?" said Jessica out loud as she tapped her spoon in her teacup. "Let me see…_good day to you,_ _nice hat, see you again_…"

She stopped when she noticed a sad, moody look pass over Beato's face. Had she said something insensitive? But she was only talking about Battler's antics. What could there have been in her words that would leave Beato so upset?

"H, hey, Beato," said Jessica, "what's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing," sighed Beato. She began to dig in to her breakfast. "I'm just…tired from staying up late, that's all."

Jessica spun the spoon around in the tea cup, lightly banging around the edges. "So how does this game work, anyway?"

"Like I said, it's complicated," said Battler. By now, he had finished part of his breakfast. "Long story short, it's a murder mystery gone horribly wrong."

"So a bunch of witches gathered us here to solve a _murder mystery?"_ said Jessica in disbelief.

"Sort of," said Battler slowly.

Jessica looked out the window. The sun was shining brightly through the window, not even trying to hide itself behind any clouds. "I wonder what day it is," she said.

"Time," spoke Virgilia as she entered the room, "is a non-issue in this world. It comes and goes as it pleases. There are no set dates for anything. The hours and minutes blend together into days and months."

"Wait, so I could be stuck here for _months?"_ said Jessica sharply.

"Perhaps, perhaps not," said Virgilia. "It depends on what Bernkastel plans to use you for."

Jessica took a sip of tea. "I wonder when the next game will start."

"Don't look forward to that just yet, Jessica," said Battler. "For now, just be happy with life being this peaceful. You never know when that peace will come to an end."

* * *

><p>In a dark place at a dark time, two witches were in discussion over the formation of their plot. One expressed an eager playfulness for the unfolding of the events. The other showed a mixture of contempt and smugness.<p>

"Oooh, this is going to be so much _fun,_ Bern!"

"Indeed. I do look forward to the chance of seeing the looks of dismay and sorrow on the face of Battler, and the look of desperation and futile determination on the face of Jessica. Ah yes, what a naïve girl who believes in love saving the day…it makes me sick."

"There's one thing I don't get, Bern: How is she going to play a role in revealing Beatrice for what she really is? How is she going to be of any fun to us at all?"

"She'll do it. Like it or not, she will do it. And if we can't persuade her, then there will be another factor that will."

"Like what?"

"You will find out in time, my dear Lambda."

"Guaahh! Don't call me that!"

In the dark, the man spoke:

"Childish, aren't we, Lady Lambdadelta?"

"Watch it! Bern, is your piece this cheeky?"

"Hard to say…we will meet up soon in the next game."

"When is it, when is it, when is it? I'm getting impatient, you know!"

"Patience, Lady Lambdadelta. I am certain we will learn of Lady Bernkastel's intentions within time."

"And will you follow through with those intentions when she reveals them?"

"Of course. I do want my family to know how it hurts to see them choose the bastard child of an incestuous relationship over me. At least _my_ parents weren't father and daughter."

"No. Your parents were just two, lustful fools."

"Always the pessimist, aren't you, Lady Bernkastel?...Lady Lambdadelta, what can you tell me about this…Jessica person?"

"Just that she seems like a toy that will take harder to break. I hope she can keep us entertained for this tale."

"As do I, Lady Lambdadelta. I can't wait to meet my _dear sister."_


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: First of all, sorry that updates are slow. I've been busier lately; also, part of the reason is because I've been reading (or attempting to read) a Visual Novel. Want to know which one it is? Just check out my new avatar…

4

Jessica was not sure how long she had been in this world for. Had it been a week since she had arrived? A month? Or was it just a few days? There was something about this place that just made it seem as though time blended together. Though she had not been excited to hear she'd be here indefinitely, she grew accustomed to the tricks of Gaap, to the bantering of the Stakes, and to the idea of her cousin being married to a witch. She hoped that whatever was to come would not be _too_ unpleasant, but told herself to be prepared for any surprises in store.

If only Beato had also told herself this…

* * *

><p>Usually, when Beato woke up, she'd feel delight at the thought of what she and Battler would do today, along with a hungry feeling in her stomach, eager to taste Ronove's cooking for breakfast.<p>

But on this morning, she felt like staying in bed a few minutes longer, and it wasn't even early. Battler had already gotten up, yet she had no desire to follow him. She let out a groan and closed her eyes.

She was woken up again by a knock on the door. "Milady?" called out Ronove's gentlemanly voice. "It is almost noon."

Beato rested one hand on her stomach. She was most definitely _not_ hungry.

"Milady?"

Beato rolled over, then sat up, rubbing her eyes. The door opened and in came Ronove. "Milady, would you care to come downstairs for some lunch?" he said. "Although, I suppose it would be breakfast for you, pukuku."

"Mmph," said Beato. Like a slug, she got out of bed to get ready to face what she was sure would be a long day.

* * *

><p>Breakfast, or lunch, whatever she preferred to call it, wasn't too bad. Beato ate outside in the arbour, nibbling on small pieces of toast while Jessica practiced fighting with Gaap. "Got to be prepared for the worse," she had said. Ronove would've volunteered to be Jessica's sparring partner were he not arriving with a cup of tea.<p>

"Your tea, milady," said Ronove as he placed the teacup onto the table. The cup, white and patterned with pink roses, was cool in Beato's hands. She lifted it up to her lips—

"Milady?" said Ronove, concerned to see Beato's eyes widen and her hands to quickly place the cup back down, spilling some tea on the table. She placed a hand on her mouth, closed her eyes, and breathed in and out slowly. Suddenly, she wasn't hungry anymore. The smell of the black tea she once loved jerked her stomach, causing a sour taste to rise in the back of her throat. She gulped, hoping to hold it down….

"Beato," she heard the soothing voice of her teacher speak, "I made you some apple pie as a special treat. Would you care to have a slice?"

Beato opened her eyes. Virgilia was heading towards her carrying a delectable-looking slice of apple pie. She felt dismayed to once again be repulsed by the smell of freshly-baked pie, a smell which, like black tea, she once loved that now made her ill.

In fact…she wasn't sure how much longer she could—

"Teacher," choked out Beato before she leaped up from her chair and dashed past Virgilia, nearly knocking over the plate she held. Jessica and Gaap stopped fighting when the saw this. They shared a worried glance before racing after Beato.

Virgilia turned to Ronove and said, "Ronove, what has gotten into Beato?"

Ronove stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I was just wondering the same thing…"

* * *

><p>"Ble….<em>BLEEEAAARRGGH!"<em>

Gaap and Jessica had arrived at the kitchen just in time to see everything Beato had eaten for breakfast ending up in the kitchen sink. They winced at the sight, wondering just what was wrong with the witch.

"Are you okay, Riiche?" said Gaap when Beato was done.

"I...I think so," said Beato weakly. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "I'm probably just nervous about what Bernkastel has planned, because…" Tears filled her eyes. "Because I don't want these happy days with Battler to come to an end."

She realized what she was doing and quickly wiped her eyes, embarrassed. "I'm going to rest in the den now."

She dashed past Jessica and Gaap, leaving the two to wonder what was up with Beato's strange behaviour.

* * *

><p>Jessica walked back outside to see Virgilia sitting in the arbour with the uneaten slice of pie. "Is Beato not feeling well?" said Virgilia. She looked softer and motherly as she said this.<p>

"I'm afraid so," said Jessica. "She was sick in the kitchen."

Virgilia fell poignantly silent, only muttering one sentence: "Was she now…"

"Virgilia?" said Jessica, curious. "What is it?"

Virgilia smiled. "Oh, nothing," she said. "Would you like to have some lunch, Jessica?"

* * *

><p>Beato lay on the couch in the den and closed her eyes, still feeling tired and sluggish. Her mysterious malady continued to plague her and to puzzle her. Was it really <em>just<em> anxiety about the upcoming game plaguing her? She couldn't recall being _this_ worked up before.

Beato plucked at the material of her gown around her breasts, which felt tender against it. She tried adjusting it to make it feel more comfortable, but still, her chest ached. She opened her eyes and sat up, looked down, and noticed the cleavage looked a bit bigger. Or maybe she was just tired and more prone to noticing things that weren't there.

She swung her feet against the couch restlessly. She reached out for a book on the shelf and grabbed the first one she could find. To her dismay, it was just a boring medical textbook. She was about to put it back when she thought, _Wait…maybe I could use this to see what's wrong with me._

She flipped to the index in the back and searched for all pages associated with her symptoms. But the more she tried looking for the page with _all_ symptoms present, the more she looked into an answer she was not looking for…

But it wasn't _that._ It couldn't be.

Unless…

One…two…three…four…five…

Overdue. Definitely overdue.

So it _was…_

_Damn it._

She snapped the book close at the sound of footsteps. Was it Battler? What would she tell him if he were to come in right now? _Could_ she tell him? She knew she'd have to eventually; she obviously couldn't keep it a secret for long. But even so…

Jessica came into the den. "Beato," she said, "did I leave my brass knuckles in here? I _thought_ I had them with me during my fight with Gaap, but…"

She stopped when she saw the look on Beato's face. "Beato?" She walked in further. "What's wrong?"

Beato wondered if she could confide this to Jessica. She didn't _look_ like the type who would blab to Battler. "Jessica," she said, "there's something I need to tell you…something important."

The tone in Beato's voice had been solemn. Wondering just what it was that Beato needed to tell her, Jessica walked over to the couch and sat next to her. Beato briefly lost her nerve, then worked up the courage to look Jessica in the eye and say:

"I…I think I'm pregnant."


	5. Chapter 5

5

"But…but…" Jessica wasn't sure what to say to this announcement. The Golden Witch Beatrice _pregnant?_ As in, she who was a thousand years old within a space that knew no limits to time, was pregnant.

"But how is it _possible?"_ burst out Jessica. "I mean, aren't we in a space where…there's no time, and…and…"

"Anything can happen in this world," said Beato, looking down at the patterns on the couch. "The time issue is…complicated. Has there been any sign from Battler yet?"

"No, not yet," said Jessica.

Beato let out a drawn-out sigh and lay on her back. "What am I going to do?" she muttered. "Will this change anything for me and Battler? Will Lady Bernkastel take advantage of this somehow?"

"Maybe she won't," said Jessica, providing what she knew to be hollow comfort. "Maybe she'll think a baby isn't even worth her time."

"You don't know her like _I_ do," muttered Beato. She closed her eyes. "I need some time alone."

She heard Jessica hesitate, then the sound of her footsteps beginning to fade out. She lay a hand on her stomach. What did _she,_ of all people, know about babies? She had certainly gone through the process of _making_ one without intending to. But how to hold one? How to feed it? How to love it?

This was assuming that there would be no complications during the game itself. After all, Battler had figured everything out, and she had a feeling Bernkastel would not be the kind of witch who would let her go home happy with her baby. And what would happen to the baby once this world was gone? What if she became attached to it, and then had to say goodbye? Or what if it somehow existed in the real world and she had to deal with the consequences?

Or what if….what if her existence was denied while she was still pregnant? Would the baby go with her? Or would the baby be born to…_her?_

Beato opened her eyes at the sound of footsteps. She rolled over and in came Ronove. She sat up and pulled her hand away from her stomach. "I just thought I'd come in to check and see how milady is doing," said Ronove. "I hope I did not wake you up from your nap?"

"N, no," said Beato, shaking her head. "It's all right. I wasn't sleeping, so…"

"How are you feeling?" said Ronove.

"A bit better, I guess," muttered Beato. "I'm hungry."

"Pukuku, milady, this moodiness of yours is not like you even in tsun mode," remarked Ronove. "Is there anything you would like to eat?"

"Mmm…ice cream," said Beato. "With apples." She wasn't sure why she had requested that, but she could taste the sweet, creamy, cold mixture with semi-sweet, semi-sour slices.

"I see," murmured Ronove. His look briefly became solemn, then switched back to cheerful, though that momentary solemnity made Beato feel a bit uncomfortable. "Will that be all?"

Beato nodded. She wasn't sure why, but she felt like Ronove had just spotted her snatching an extra cookie for herself. She waited for him to leave before letting out a huge sigh and sprawling herself across the couch once more.

* * *

><p>"Where's Beato?" was the first thing to come out of Battler's mouth when Jessica greeted him at the door.<p>

"She's resting right now," said Jessica. "She said she's not feeling well."

Battler's face wrenched with concern. "How bad is she? Is she in bed? Does this have anything to do with—"

"She's in the den," said Jessica quickly. "She's not _too_ bad off."

She hesitated, wondering if she should tell Battler about the baby. Then, she decided against it, figuring Beato would probably still need some time adjusting to the news before telling anyone else.

Battler's face muscles relaxed and he said calmly, "Is she up to visitors?"

"She _looked_ okay the last time I saw her," said Jessica, choosing her words carefully. "You could see her if you want."

"In that case," said Battler, "you'll need to come with me. This involves you, too."

* * *

><p>Beato and Jessica sat across from Battler in anxiety, each over separate issues. One was wondering how to tell her husband that everything between them was about to change drastically. The other hoped the battle she was in for would be one she'd be able to fight through. And Battler sat with his own wondering about whether this would be the greatest challenge he would ever face so far.<p>

"Is this about the next game?" Beato broke the silence.

Battler nodded. "Yes. The game will be starting shortly. We will need to leave fairly soon." He looked in Jessica's direction and said, "And Jessica will be coming with us."

Jessica sat up straight. "So what's this about? Why am I being dragged into this? And why _this_ game? Why not any other? What makes _this_ one so special?"

Battler's lips thinned. "Because," he said, "this could be the game that will shatter the illusion of the witch once and for all. I do not know much, but I do know that you will somehow play a role in it."

_The baby._

"What will happen to Beato after…?" Jessica couldn't bring herself to finish.

"That will be dealt with when it happens," Beato spoke in Battler's face. Her calm yet anxious blue eyes met Jessica's dark, determined eyes. "Jessica…no matter what happens, you must not lose hope of attaining a miracle, no matter how small that chance may be."

Though she felt more nervous than she had ever felt in her life, Jessica said:

"I'm ready."


	6. Chapter 6

6

Jessica did not know what to anticipate from her first meeting with the witches. She noticed the blue-haired witch with an apathetic look in her eyes, and the blonde-haired witch looking playful and anxious, kicking her feet against the chair while her eyes darted across the room. The latter reminded her of a small child eager to get a piece of candy in exchange for sitting still for their vaccination.

She looked back at Battler, who sat up straight. His hands tensed up around the cold chair handle, and his eyes briefly met Jessica's. Jessica observed the room, which was roughly pentagon shaped. The windows showed darkness, in contrast to the neat whiteness of the rest of the area. It was a room where many debates had been fought, where colours flew around in theorizing, where opponents became lovers.

And what about Jessica? What would _her_ fate become from this room? Was she destined to win or to lose? Would she come out of this room alive, or shredded into meat?

At last, Battler said, "Lady Bernkastel…before we begin, I have to ask…what did you drag Jessica into this for? What does _she_ have to do with this game?"

"Nothing yet everything," was Bernkastel's cryptic response.

"Ooh! Ooh! Can _I_ explain, Bern~?" said Lambdadelta eagerly.

Bernkastel took a sip of her tea. "No, I shall explain, Lambdadelta," she said. She continued to sit in her chair and spoke: "I have three, new pieces for our game." Her eyes shifted over to the blonde witch fidgeting in her seat. "I shall introduce one of them a bit later. You may go first in introducing the first piece, Lambdadelta."

A wide, childlike grin spread across Lambdadelta's face and she turned to Battler and Jessica. "I hope you're ready for one heck of a family reunion, Je~ssica," she sang with a snap of her fingers. The man to appear in front of them donned a strong resemblance to Battler—they had the same red hair, dark eyes, and facial features; however, the man's hair was longer and reached his shoulders in a mullet, and he wore a smirk on his face paired with a contemptuous look in his eyes. His suit design also bore a strong similarity to Battler's, but was decked entirely in black.

"Why hello, there," said the man in a tone that was neither entirely polite nor entirely mocking. "I have _so_ looked forward to the day I would get to meet you two, but never would I have ever imagined meeting you both at the same time. Such a time to celebrate a happy occasion, no?"

Something about this young man struck a reminding note into both Battler and Jessica. They were not sure who this man _was,_ but he just _felt_ oddly familiar. Jessica got up from her seat and said, "Who are you? What do you want with us?"

"Relax, relax," said the man calmly, pretending to examine his fingernails. "I was not the one who brought you here, but I am glad nonetheless to _see_ you here. After all…"

His smirk grew into a smile that made Jessica feel uneasy, but she stood her ground and said, "After all _what?"_

"After all," said the man, "we _are_ family."

Jessica spun around to Battler. _"Family?_" she mouthed. Battler also stood up and said, "What exactly do you mean by that?"

"Oh, brother, you can't possibly be _that_ incompetent," chuckled the man. "Need I refresh your memory? Does the name "Asumu Ushiromiya" ring a bell?"

If Battler had been drinking, he would have spat the liquid out across the room. "You—you mean—you're—you're—"

"Brother, do you need to see a speech therapist?" said the man coolly.

Jessica took a few steps closer to the man and said, "What are you talking about?"

"What?" The man pretended to be offended. "You mean he never _told_ you? Not even a _hint?_ My, brother, I _am_ disappointed, indeed. Am I really so despised by you that you felt I wasn't even worth _mentioning?"_

"Why do you keep calling Battler "brother"?" demanded Jessica. "Just cut the crap and tell us already!"

"I shall do the honours," spoke up Bernkastel. "This is the other Battler Ushiromiya. However, for the sake of avoiding confusion, we shall refer to him with the alternate reading for "Battler"—_Sento. Sento Ushiromiya._ To make a long story short, Battler was born to his step-mother, Kyrie, and Sento is the true son of Asumu Ushiromiya. Sento's birth proved to be long and difficult. He very nearly died during delivery. Believing that his son with Asumu was about to die, and not wanting anyone to learn of his affair with Kyrie, Rudolf Ushiromiya presented his son with Kyrie to Asumu, and gave his sickly son to the doctor looking after Kyrie. The doctor declared the child to be a stillborn."

"Clearly," spoke Sento, "the fact that I am standing here proves the doctor to be little more than a quack. As for what happened next…yes, there is a chance, however small, that I could have been the child from nineteen years ago, the one whom _our_ mother, dear sister, very nearly _killed."_

"_What?"_ burst out Jessica, finding it hard to resist the temptation to pull out her brass knuckles and punch this man in the nose. "What kind of bullshit is _that?_ My mother—_killed—what—_Battler, it's not true, right? _Right?"_

"Regardless of whether it is true or not," said Bernkastel, "there is a second candidate for the child from nineteen years ago, and they are due to arrive very shortly."

Her mind in a state of confusion over this recent revelation, Jessica could only stammer, "B—but—mom—she—but—she—but…"

"Tongue-tied, dear sister?" said Sento with a smirk. "It is shocking, isn't it, to learn that your own _mother_ is not the person you thought she was?"

"She—she—I—no—not—"

"Perhaps you would care to join my brother in seeing that speech therapist, dear sister?" teased Sento.

"Stop calling me that!" snapped Jessica. Her cheeks burning, she stalked back to her seat and sat down in a huff in time for another person to come running in. She did not pay attention to the identity of this person until Lambdadelta said, "Aren't you still interested in this game? Don't you want to meet the _other_ candidate for the child from nineteen years ago?"

"Eh?" Jessica looked up to see a young adult with two, blonde pigtails running down their back, brown eyes, and a friendly though anxious smile. They wore a rose-coloured suit with the one-winged eagle stitched across the right sleeve, and another on the white collar, which was what stood out the most to Jessica—she couldn't remember anyone in the Ushiromiya family ever being allowed to wear _two _eagle wings on their clothing. What made this person so special?

"Sister, do you have any idea what's going on here?" spoke the young adult. "One moment, we were getting ready for this year's family conference; the next—"

"_Sister?"_ burst out Jessica, standing up. "So now I have _two_ siblings?"

"And that is the precise catch," said Bernkastel. "This is Lion Ushiromiya, the love child of Kinzo and his mistress, Beatrice, given to Natsuhi Ushiromiya. Lion is a miracle child, from the world where the baby is not thrown off the cliff."

"What's this about our mother now?" said Lion, looking truly befuddled by the entire situation.

"I toyed with the idea of a "who killed Beatrice" game for a bit," said Bernkastel, who already looked bored. Those who knew her well enough took this as a bad sign. "But then I decided, why not up the stakes for this game? Why not give this tale an even crueller edge at the risk of a person's existence? And why not add another player to even this out? Jessica Ushiromiya, your challenge is this: You must figure out which of these two is the child from nineteen years ago, and how they ultimately tie in to the murders. There will be another piece in another kakera to play, but what about you? Do you accept this challenge?"

Jessica looked back and forth between the smug man dressed in black, and the suspicious young adult dressed like one of the family. She had barely begun to make her decision when Bernkastel added, "Acceptance is inevitable, lest you want to be stuck here for all eternity. I will tell you right now that cheating is not an option. You are not allowed to ask Battler or Beato any questions they will know the answers to, for only the game master can know the answers. Test it out right now. Ask Battler who the culprit is."

Jessica grew wearier of the situation still, but she said, "Battler, who is the cul—_gwuh! Gack!"_ she coughed and choked halfway through. Bernkastel drew out a sigh and said, "I'm afraid this will be more drawn out than expected, so there will be occasional breaks. Take advantage of them wisely. But first, there needs to be a wager. What do you have to offer?"

Jessica looked over at Battler wearily. She felt an overwhelming confusion and determination, her mind buzzing with dozens of questions about Sento and Lion, her spirit fired up to take on this witch. Battler could only shake his head. He turned to Bernkastel and said, "Why the sudden change in how we play? Why do we need breaks? Why does there need to be a wager this time?"

"See, we're putting on a little play during this game," piped up Lambdadelta. "And as for the wager—"

"Quiet, or I'll drown you in syrup and then suck the liquid out your lungs using a straw," said Bernkastel sharply. She cleared her throat. "As for the wager…yes, the wager needs to be something beyond material possession. I have no use for money, nor sweets. No…this wager needs to have everything placed at stake. If you have nothing to offer, then leave. You will know when to come back."

Before Jessica could ask what she meant by that, Battler and Jessica were gone in a matter of seconds. As soon as they left, Sento turned to Lion and said, "Ah, my dear…are you my brother or my sister?"

Irritated, Lion began to reach over to pinch Sento's behind, only for their hand to be caught by Sento's and swept back over to their side. Lion scowled, "If you do anything to hurt my sister..."

"My, my, did we just get off on the wrong foot?" chortled Sento. "And I did _so_ look forward to a peaceful family reunion."


	7. Chapter 7

7

Beato felt like a small child again as she nervously stood before her teacher and furniture in the parlour. She fidgeted with her hands, never realizing just how truly fascinating the colour of her fingernails could be until that moment. Wouldn't she rather observe them than admit to her situation?

"Well, Beato?" urged Virgilia. "Is there a reason you called us in here?"

Beato's hands relaxed. "Yes," she said slowly. "It's about me and Battler…"

"Milady," spoke up Ronove, "are you with child?"

So he had figured it out. Beato nodded meekly, and lay her hands to rest at her sides. She had anticipated Virgilia's words long before she opened her mouth to say:

"Beato, do you realize what you have done? To that child, to _Battler?_ Do you even know how this will affect him in the real world, assuming the baby even makes it?"

Beato fiddled with her fingers as though she had been caught fishing for an extra cookie in the jar. Thinking about how she and Battler would deal with the baby _if_ they made it out of here made her feel more nauseated than she felt at the moment.

"Lady Beatrice," spoke Ronove, "you should have been more careful that night. But," he added with a small grin, "I believe you may have met your match in a small person equally as childish as you, pukuku."

From the slight twinkle in his eye, Beato could tell Ronove wasn't _too_ angry at her. She felt somewhat relieved, until Ronove said, "You do realize you will eventually need to tell Lord Battler, as it is his child, too."

"And I will," said Beato. She paused and added, "Eventually."

Virgilia eyed her sternly. "Whenever "eventually" may be, it cannot be "forever"."

* * *

><p>Battler and Jessica sat outside in the rose garden. On any other day, they'd appreciate the vibrant, blooming pink and red colours. Now, however, their minds were preoccupied with thoughts of the two new players.<p>

"You know," said Battler, "I don't like Sento one bit. Lion seems okay, but as for _Sento…_let's just say that the only condition I'd ever punch a kitten under would be if that kitten were Sento."

Jessica stifled a laugh, then said, "For some odd reason, I have a familiar, maybe I'd even say nostalgic, feeling about both of them, which just makes this even more confusing." She sighed, "I can't wait until this is over and we go back to the real world. Then everything can go back to normal, and we won't have to worry about any murders, and…" She smiled as she thought of Kanon walking through the garden, briefly glancing up at her before going back to the roses. "I hope that after this, I'll finally get to be with Kanon. Maybe this will help give me the strength I need to tell him we must be together, and…"

She stopped when she noticed an odd look cross Battler's face. His eyes were more fixated on the roses then on Jessica, the edges of his mouth were curled slightly, and he had his hands in his pockets. "Battler?" said Jessica. "Is something wrong?"

"Oh, uh, no, don't mind me," laughed Battler nervously. "I'm just…Jessica, do you _really_ think you should be with Kanon?"

"Why not?" said Jessica. "I'm determined to help him break out of that stupid furniture mold and teach him how to be human. He needs to see that there is more to the world than just Rokkenjima, there's also…oh, I still remember when I took him to the school fair." She leaned back in her chair and mused, "I was in this band, and we had been practicing for weeks, but I was still nervous. But then, the lights went up, and I saw Kanon…and then…everything went smoothly."

She tapped a finger on the table and sang, _"Pettan, pettan…dokkyun, dokkyun…"_

"Yeah, those…sure are catchy songs, ihihihi!" laughed Battler, the laugh sounding high and false.

Jessica looked at Battler oddly, but continued: "I just _know_ this is real. I can imagine myself finally convincing mom and dad to let me marry Kanon…the two of us in charge of the mansion, allowing the new servants to be our friends…our children playing together with—Battler, _what_ is so funny?" she demanded when she heard an odd stifling noise coming from Battler's throat, accompanied by another suppressed grin.

"Um…uh…" Battler knew better than to give it away to Jessica; even if he could, he didn't want to break her innocent heart. He said, "Thinking a little far ahead, aren't you?"

"_So?"_ huffed Jessica, crossing her arms. "Maybe it'll take a while to get my parents to see the light; well, my mom at least; I think dad _might_ be okay with it. But after all you've been through together with Beato, don't you agree that any trial you endure is worth it just so you can gain your happy ending?"

"I…I'd say so," said Battler slowly. "Beato and I didn't exactly get off to the greatest start, so…yeah, I think that if you can see the love, it will be what saves you in the end."

"Exactly!" nodded Jessica firmly, her ponytail bouncing. "And if you and Beato can have that love to marry, so can Kanon and me!"

Battler then changed the subject: "So Jessica, between Lion and Sento, which one do you feel closer to?"

"I'm not really sure." Jessica rested her arms on the table and thought. "They _both_ feel so familiar to me, but I _swear_ I never even _knew _them until now."

"Technically, you _did_ know them," pointed out Battler.

"But I _didn't,"_ said Jessica slowly. "But I _did_ know them…but then I didn't…and now I do_…gah!"_

"Just deal with the confusion the same way I do," said Battler. "Don't think too hard."

* * *

><p>"Riiche, <em>congratulations!"<em> cried out Gaap as she gave her best friend a hug. The two sat together on Beato's bed cross-legged as Beato told her the news of her little surprise. "I can't _wait_ to show off the latest fashions to the baby! I'll dress it up as a fashionable little demon, and it will look _so_ cute!"

Beato smiled at the thought of dressing her baby up, thinking of whom it might resemble and what they might wear…but she shook her head and said, "Gaap, you probably won't get that chance once the game is over."

"Aww, cheer up," said Gaap playfully, gently bouncing on the bed. "Be more optimistic! I'm sure that if time moves smoothly enough, _everyone_ will get to see how adorable this baby will be for themselves!"

"A baby sounds like so much _work,"_ groaned Beato. She leaned back on the bed and said, "I have a headache just _thinking_ about it." She looked up into Gaap's grinning face and said, "You can't tell Battler about this yet."

"Not yet," promised Gaap. "I'll have to go now and find a good hiding place for _this."_ She pulled Virgilia's hat out of her sleeve, gave Beato a wink, and stepped into a black hole.

Beato smiled and leaned her head down on the pillow. Her hand rested on her stomach and she began to think about what being a mother might be like _if_ she and the baby survived this. She imagined a small child dashing around the kitchen and competing with her for a slice of a freshly baked apple pie…bouncing up and down on her bed to let her know it was Christmas morning and helping her wake Battler up…sharing a bowl of candy together with her…

Or maybe the baby would cry non-stop, maybe it wouldn't give her any sleep, maybe it would only cause more tension for her and Battler…

Would Battler's family even approve of this? They weren't exactly _here,_ but if this were in the real world, how would they react? With joy? Anger? Worrying? Or how about reacting to who the mother _was?_

She imagined the look on Battler's parents' faces to learn that the mother of his first child was an all-powerful witch who also happened to be his closest relative. In fact, she was a _lot_ closer than even most of the cousins.

And she laughed, in spite of herself.


	8. Chapter 8

8

Ronove asked to meet with Beato in the parlour just before dinner. Beato wasn't sure what the meeting was about, but she had a feeling it related to the baby through some means or another, and sure enough, she was right.

"Milady," said Ronove, handing Beato two, lengthy-looking lists, "out of the best interests for you and your child, here is what is considered unacceptable for women in your condition to have even as a treat."

As Beato began to read the lists, her face grew dismayed. "No black tea?" she said glumly. "Not even an occasional drink?"

"We must not risk stunting the growth of the little one, milady," Ronove pointed out. "You do want this child to be strong and healthy, don't you?"

Beato nodded, though not with much glee. "Then you will have to make some inconvenient sacrifices for the health of your child," said Ronove.

"Is…is a _little_ bit of chocolate okay?" asked Beato as her eyes passed over the underlined statement forbidden anything with excessive caffeine, including chocolate.

"A small bit once in a while may not hurt," said Ronove. "Knowing you around chocolate, however, I may have to limit the amount you are given, pukuku."

Beato felt too moody to even protest at Ronove's laughter. "Is cake okay?"

"Why yes, I do believe some cake may be acceptable," nodded Ronove. "Let us hope that this child will also inherit your sweet tooth, pukuku."

* * *

><p>As the three sat around the dinner table and dug in to their meal, Battler couldn't help but notice that something about Beato was a bit…off. She didn't tease Battler about his eating habits, nor did she try to spoon feed him when he least expected it. Instead, she just sat and ate her food in silence, looking deep in thought about something.<p>

"So Jessica," spoke Battler, "how do you like it here so far?"

Jessica shrugged. "Eh, I'm getting used to it, just as long as I don't think _too_ hard about it."

Beato wondered when would be the right time to tell Battler. Would now be a bad time? Would she be better off telling him at bedtime? Just after supper?

"Beato," said Battler, "I heard you've been sick. Are you feeling any better?"

Beato began to construct a mountain with her vegetables. "A little bit."

Battler was about to go back to eating when Beato said, "Battler...what was your life like before you came here?"

Battler looked taken aback. "Well, uh," he said, wondering why Beato was asking _now,_ "I went to this great school just outside the neighbourhood, and I got caught up on lost time with Ange after I came back. You know, I'm not sure just what I want to be after I graduate. But I do know that I want to be absolutely _nothing_ like the old bastard. Apart from his harem of God knows how many women out there, I know a thing or two about his business problems, and, well, they don't do anything to improve how I see him. Sometimes, I consider maybe becoming a lawyer, or something that would require a little less years of schooling. Or maybe I'll write a book about my own family." He shook his head. "Nah, maybe not; our exploits would _never_ be believed by _anyone,_ ihihi!"

Beato's face reminded Battler of a sad kitten whose milk was spoiled. "So you want to graduate from school?" she said.

"Yes, that would be nice," said Battler. "What's got you interested all of a sudden?"

Beato began to eat her supper and pretended she didn't hear Battler's question. She could feel Virgilia glancing over at her out of the corner of her eye knowingly, as though to say, "This is what I warned you about."

After some uncomfortable chewing, Battler said, "Beato? What's wrong? It's not like you to be like this, unless it's your time of the—"

"I'm _fine,"_ snapped Beato. "I was just asking a stupid question, okay?"

As much as Battler wanted to shrug it off to Beato being in "tsun" mode again, a part of him wondered if there had to be something more to the way she was acting.

* * *

><p>The apple pie had been saved for dessert and tasted as delicious as ever. Beato sunk her teeth into the thick crust mushed up with the apples, her tongue savouring the syrupy, sweet fruit as she sat on a couch near the window facing the rose garden. Jessica sat next to her and said, "So, Beato…when <em>are<em> you going to tell Battler?"

"Mmm, not sure," said Beato, licking the sticky edges around her lips.

"Well, the passage-of-time issue should mean you'll tell him _now_ while your stomach is still flat, and not just wait until you're the size of a balloon, right?" said Jessica.

Beato rubbed her stomach, just to make sure it was still flat. "I still have time," she said, though uneasily as she wasn't sure just _exactly_ how much time was left. She suppressed a giggle at the thought of Battler waking up before her and seeing her suddenly large stomach and freaking out. Then, her smile dropped when she thought about the implications of her stomach getting bigger. Her pregnancy hadn't been officially confirmed, apart from a search through some boring medical textbook, but she just _knew_ her self-diagnosis had been right. She wasn't sure how or why; she just did. She could rub her stomach, which showed no evidence of a baby, and yet feel absolutely certain that there was something inside her.

"I wonder if it'll look like me or Battler," mused Beato as she took another bite, wondering if the baby could somehow taste what she was eating. "Will it be a boy or a girl, I wonder?"

"How will the kid even grow up around here?" asked Jessica. "Will it just…age?"

"Hmm, I think so, yes," nodded Beato. "If I'm already even at this point at all, that should mean it will…"

Her voice faded when she noticed Battler coming around the corner. "Jessica, there you are!" he said. "Ronove was looking for you, he said something about practicing for the worse…?"

"Oh! Right!" nodded Jessica. She got up and said, "Well, Beato…good luck." She gave Battler a look that concerned him; it was an unusually solemn look for Jessica, and he had a feeling they weren't talking about her current situation.

"So, uh, Beato," began Battler, "are you feeling okay? You just weren't yourself at dinner tonight."

Beato looked down at her plate and fiddled with the pieces that were left. "I'm…" She stopped, not understanding why. Why was it so hard to tell Battler about this? Why did this suddenly make her lose her nerve? Just because Battler still wanted to go to school after this was over didn't mean he couldn't raise the baby also…right? And even if the baby ended up _not_ making it with him, then he'd still go to school, right?

"Is this about Jessica?" asked Battler. "Is she still…"

"No, this isn't about Jessica," said Beato. She put the plate aside and stood up. "This is about you and me."

"Wait, you're not having doubts about our marriage, are you?" said Battler with a worried expression. "I know I should've been a little nicer to you when you came back, but we're past that now, right? You're not still angry at me, are you?"

"Mm-mm." Beato shook her head and scuffled her feet.

"Or are you worried about what'll happen when I have to go back to the real world?" said Battler softly. "Do you think I'll just forget about you if I go back with my family, go back to school?"

"Um…it's related to that…" said Beato slowly. She stumbled slightly, feeling as though she was about to float out of her heels. Battler caught her like she was a porcelain doll about to fall off the top shelf and said gently, "Beato…whatever it is…you can tell me."

"Ba, Battler…" muttered Beato as Battler helped her stand up properly.

"Besides," said Battler, "after everything I've seen so far, I don't think there's anything else that'll faze me."

"Not even a baby?" said Beato.

"Not even—what?" said Battler suddenly, his smile gone. "What…was that? Something about a…a…"

"A _baby,_ Battler!" cried out Beato. "I'm pregnant, damn it!" She shoved herself out of Battler's embrace and ran off before she could see him slowly lower himself onto the couch, his face accompanying the shock that began to set in.


	9. Chapter 9

9

Battler sat in the parlour and played chess with himself. Knight to D4…Queen to A5…

No, it was useless, it was all useless.

Battler let out a melancholic sigh. He was still taking in Beato's news._"I'm pregnant damn it!"_ "You never were one to beat around the bush, Beato," he muttered. He moved the chess pieces around, none ever landing on the precise squares they were supposed to. They were aimless, wandering from one square to the next with their master unable to think up any further moves.

"So I'm going to be a father, huh," he said dully. Saying those words out loud didn't make it feel any less overwhelming as he tried to think of how he, or Beato, could ever raise a child in a world like this. He couldn't bear to think about loving the child and then having it disappear were he to go back, yet he couldn't stomach the thought of having to explain the mysterious existence of a new baby if it went back with him, or how he was going to raise it with or without its mother.

"This is so messed up," sighed Battler, placing the chess pieces back in the box. He didn't even look up at the sound of Ronove coming in. "Evening, Master Battler," he said. "I take it you are having some difficulty comprehending milady's news?"

"Oh, I comprehend it all right," said Battler, leaning back in his chair. "But I don't know how to take this in. I don't know if the baby will come back with me, or disappear with this world, or…"

"If I may give a suggestion," said Ronove, "I would recommend you not worry about what will become of the future and instead look at what's happening in the present. You and milady are on your way to becoming parents. You will have your own little witch or sorcerer to chase around the house to love and to drive you mad, pukuku."

"Yeah…I guess I _could_ think of it that way," said Battler slowly, trying to imagine himself teaching a small red-haired—or would it be blonde?—child about the wonders of murder mysteries and all the secrets of solving them, taking him or her outside in the rose garden to show them all the different flowers and their smells…

But still, would these memories be enough to help him hold on? Or would they only mislead him into thinking this would end well?

"In either event, I would suggest you talk to milady about this, just to assure her you're not completely petrified by the news," said Ronove. "I am certain that no matter what the ultimate outcome of the child may be, you will still be a good father to it."

"Hmm…yeah…yeah!" said Battler with more confidence. "Of course I will! At the very least, I absolutely _won't_ be anything like the old bastard."

"And what if you give this child a name they are not particularly fond of?" said Ronove with a special smile.

"Of course I won't!" said Battler firmly. "I will give this child a name that will respect their dignity!"

"And what if this child does not view it that way, pukuku?" chuckled Ronove.

Still, thinking of the baby as something that would eventually have a name gave Battler an odd feeling inside. He wasn't sure whether he could call it a budding paternal instinct, or just fear. "Well, I guess I should probably talk this over with Beato now," sighed Battler as he stood up. As he began to rush out into the hall, he ran into Jessica, who had her brass knuckles on.

"Oh, Jessica," said Battler, taking a step back. "You, uh….you haven't seen Beato around have you?"

"I think she's outside," said Jessica. She looked at Battler curiously. "She told you, didn't she?"

"About the baby?" said Battler. "Yeah—wait, did _you_ know?"

"Yeah, though the whole thing confused me at first since the time in this world is still…ah…forget it! Anyway," said Jessica, "I need to practice with Ronove for a bit. See you later!"

As Jessica walked past him into the parlour, Battler was hit with the sour realization that Beato placed more faith in Jessica's reaction to the news than in him.

* * *

><p>"<em>Kyaaaa! Gaahh!"<em>

"Almost, Jessica, almost," said Ronove as he blocked Jessica's punches. "You must remember to not let your unrefined temper get the better of you."

"How can I _help it?"_ growled Jessica as her foot bounced off Ronove's shield. "The fate of my _family_ is a stake—" _pow_ "-I'm in a totally weird other world and—" _bang_ "—my opponent is some ass claiming to be my brother!"

"Pukuku, language young lady," said Ronove as Jessica's fist pounded upon the weakening shield. "Perhaps this young man acted such a way towards you because he found you a bit attractive? Just some food for thought."

Jessica panted, "So—what? He's—he's still an…an…"

"We barely know anything about this young man," reminded Ronove. The shield wore down completely and he said, "Perhaps he is a true neutral, or perhaps he is just cast into a role he does not wish to be in. In either case, I would assume you would hope this Lion person is your true relative?"

"Y, yeah," breathed Jessica. She slumped down into a golden chair upon the soft cushion. "Maybe. Lion doesn't seem _too_ bad, I guess, but what do I know about him—or her? You see? I don't even know their _gender!_ How am I supposed to know who is my brother or sister?"

"Perhaps with some old fashioned deduction and detective work," said Ronove. "Master Battler had limited methods to realize the perpetrator of the family tragedy himself, and I believe he did perfectly fine, even when he went astray on several occasions."

Jessica stifled a laugh. _"Several?"_

"Well, ah…" Ronove cleared his throat. "Let me put it to you this way: One of Master Battler's theories involved miniature explosives being baked into your relatives' meals."

* * *

><p>Battler found her in the rose garden, her back faced to him. She was staring down at the pink and red blooming petals as though these were philosophical symbols of life that required deep thinking to appreciate. Hesitant, he called out, "Beato?"<p>

She did not turn around. He walked up to her and tried to call out her name once more, but was unable to. The two stood together for several minutes, each caught up in their private thoughts over the child. _We can't do this…how could we ever even think about bringing a child up in this world..._

But what other choice had they?

_Sniff…sniff…_

Battler turned his head to see tears lightly streaming down Beato's cheeks. Wordlessly, he pulled her in for a hug, and they stood like this for several minutes, contemplating the small rose in bloom.

* * *

><p>"…so, I guess I should've done <em>something<em> to protect us after all…"

"With what? A small bomb designed for birth control?"

"You're never going to let me forget that, are you?"

"Nope!"

"Ah, it's useless, it's all useless!"

Battler and Beato lay beneath the golden sheets of their bed, still taking the news in and trying to reach some sort of friendly term with it. "You're sure, though?" said Battler. "I mean, really, really sure...?"

Beato nodded, placing one hand on her stomach. "I just know."

"Hmm…" Battler sat up a bit, adjusting the pillow behind him to support his back. "So what are we going to do?...Right, stupid question; what else _can_ we do in this world?"

"Make Teacher change its diapers?" suggested Beato, rolling over on one side facing Battler.

"Nah, we shouldn't be _that_ cruel," said Battler. "I wonder how the old bastard would handle _this_ piece of news. Or how Ange would...she'd probably take it a bit better. Heck, she might even view the baby as a little brother or sister than as a niece or nephew. I know I can't think of Ange as an aunt at her age." He laughed, "Of course, we'd have to explain to her why she suddenly has a new sister-in-law, ihihihi! Although, I think Ange at her young age might like you."

"Come to think of it," said Beato, "how would your other relatives react to this?"

"Hmm…I'm not sure," said Battler thoughtfully. "The old bastard would probably never let me hear the end of it. He'd probably get a kick out of me knocking up a girl after my very first time. Although, he's not really one to talk; I'm certain he didn't plan on getting _two_ women pregnant at once. Then again, I also doubt he was a virgin saving himself for marriage when he met either one. But as for the others…knowing my aunts and uncles, they'd probably just use the opportunity to argue over what share of the inheritance the baby would get, or if it should even get any at all. I think George and Maria would at least be happy for us."

This was all assuming the baby would make it back with them, but Battler tried to ignore this little detail. "When you told Jessica, how did she take it?"

"I don't really know," said Beato, adjusting the blankets. "She just looked more confused than ever."

"And who can blame her, ihihihi!" laughed Battler. He wrapped an arm around Beato and began to nod off.

Beato smiled and began to drift off to sleep. She was beginning to get a very good feeling about this pregnancy, and fell asleep imagining teaching a small child the secrets of magic, and how to see it with love.


	10. Chapter 10

10

The next morning, Jessica was called back for another meeting. Beato and Battler went with her, and were immediately filled with feelings of nostalgia, remembering this as the same place where they had debated the existence of witches.

"This takes me back," mused Battler. "I still remember that pounding pain of my flesh being gouged at and torn apart again and again by those ass nee-chans…ah, those were good times, ihihihi!"

Jessica didn't even bother thinking about the logic behind Battler's statement and instead took a seat. Battler sat next to her while Beato took her seat next to Battler, though Beato looked a bit green. "Are you feeling up to this, Beato?" said Battler.

"Mm-hmm," nodded Beato, trying to keep her stomach as still as possible. The three of them heard a taunting voice, "What's wrong, Bea~to? Feeling a little sick?"

Lambdadelta made her entrance along with the smirking Sento. "We must offer our sincere congratulations," said Sento. "Although, we didn't think it would be so _soon."_

"And us, too," spoke the voice of a man who appeared next to the same…person…from earlier. The man swept aside his brown bangs and said, "Ah, you must be Jessica. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Ah, you too, ahahaha!" laughed Jessica nervously. She looked over at Lion and said, "So, um…hi."

"Jessica, how have you been since we last met?" said Lion. The young adult looked over at the smirking young man. "I hope Sento hasn't been giving you too much grief?"

"Now would I ever want to bring misery to my dear sister?" said Sento. "Of course not. She's family to me just as much as you are, even if I don't remember you."

"So where _is_ Lady Bernkastel, anyway?" said Battler.

"Bern said she's at another tea party right now," sighed Lambdadelta. "But she'll back for the next round at least. But let's get to the point right now. Sento?"

The four present took their seats. Sento crossed his legs and spoke: "Dear sister, I hope you realize I care about you. I think you could be a much sweeter, gentle girl underneath your rough exterior. Perhaps it is just the stressful situation of being in a different world that's getting you worked up? The sooner you and I can go home, the better. And so, I wish for you to fight for my existence while this man fights for Lion's existence."

"And what makes you think I'm going to go along with _that?"_ said Jessica. Charming as Sento's words may have been, she had to keep her guard up.

"Oh, but I'm afraid you'll _have_ to go along with it," said Sento. "For you see, we have decided on a proper wager. And I don't think it is one you'll exactly approve of."

"Like what?" said Jessica, crossing her arms. "The family fortune?"

"Oh, it is a fortune…of sorts," said Sento. "It is more valuable than any amount of gold the Ushiromiya family already posses. But no, it is not a material fortune; what use would I, or Master Lambdadelta, have for that?"

Jessica noticed a malicious gleam in Sento's eyes as he spoke:

"I am wagering the unborn child of Battler and Beatrice Ushiromiya."

There was a reaction instantly. _"How dare you!"_ cried out Battler as he leaped up from his seat, but Beato held him back and said, "No, Battler, let _me_ handle him."

"Ah, ah, ah," taunted Lambdadelta. "This is _Jessica's_ deal, _not_ yours. And don't look so stressed, you wouldn't harm the baby, _right?_ But hey, I'm not going to _force_ her to make a decision; that burden lies on Jessica's shoulders alone." She looked her at the trembling girl and said, "Well? What's it gonna be, huh?"

"I refuse!" declared Jessica. "How can I _ever_ accept such a _horrible_ deal?"

"What's so horrible about it?" asked Sento. "Really, does that child even have a _chance_ either way?"

"Well…it…it _might,"_ said Jessica slowly. Will cut in: "If the deal is taken, then we withdraw from this game."

"Yeah, see, _I'm_ not one to care if you two stay or go, but you'd kind of have to take it up with _Bern,"_ said Lambdadelta. "And I don't think _she_ would be too impressed. She might actually _like_ this kind of deal. So dark, so cruel…"

"And what makes you think I'd agree to this, huh?" said Jessica, her tone sharp.

"Well, now, we wouldn't necessarily _have_ to use the _baby_ as the bargaining tool," said Sento. He grinned. "Perhaps instead, we could use your beloved _parents?"_

"I won't allow you to lay a hand on _our_ parents!" declared Lion, who took a step closer to Jessica.

"And who says they're _yours_ to begin with?" taunted Sento.

"They're still _my_ parents," said Jessica, fighting to stand her ground. "And I can't just let you—"

"Why not?" said Sento. "If not them, then perhaps, what about _Yoshiya?"_

"_Never!"_ cried out Jessica. She nearly lunged at Sento, but Will stepped in between and said, "Now Jessica. You can't let him get the better of you. There has to be another way around this bargain."

"Oh, but I'm giving my dear sister _plenty_ of options," said Sento, ticking off three fingers. "Her parents, Yoshiya, or the baby. I think that's a fair set of choices, don't you?"

_Mom…dad…Yoshiya…no, I can't let anything happen to them…I can't!_

"What about _my_ life?" offered Jessica. "Let _me_ be the wager! Every time I lose, drain my life, or make me ill, or…or _something!"_

"Yay, see, that kind of be like tossing out a toy that still works," said Lambdadelta. "And what's the fun of _that?_"

"_Anything!"_ sobbed Jessica, falling to her knees. "I'll do anything! Just not my parents! Not Yoshiya! No one!"

"Hmm, how strange," said Sento, stoking his chin. "You didn't mention the child. Would you _still_ be willing to use it after all?"

"N…no…it's my life, or no deal at all…" said Jessica, though with less fire than before.

"Very well," shrugged Sento. "We'll just your parents _and_ Yoshiya." He began to turn, when Jessica leaped up to her feet and cried out, _"Wait!_ I'll do it…with the baby."

"_Jessica don't you dare!"_ cried out Battler at the same time Beato tried to pull Jessica back, but Jessica stepped forward and, before it could be stopped, shook hands with Sento and sealed the deal. With a sad shake of the head, Lion said, "I'm sorry about this. We'll try to find a way to do this without anyone's life being sacrificed."

"And how can you do that when a sacrifice has already been set up?" said Sento. "Do tell."

"Is that all?" said Battler coldly.

"Yeah, sure, I guess," shrugged Lambdadelta. "We'll call you again when we need you."

* * *

><p>Back in the mansion, Jessica tried to approach Battler, who sat playing chess by himself. She said, "Uh…Battler…"<p>

"So my child means nothing to you," said Battler, not looking up from the pieces on the board. "Isn't that nice."

"Battler…" Jessica looked away. With her shoulders slumped and her head down, she walked out and muttered:

"I'm sorry."


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Once again, I am so, so, so, SO sorry for the lack of updates. I feel especially bad about it because I updated my other Umineko epics almost every day. I think the longest I went without updating was a week at most, could be longer, but it certainly didn't take this long. But apart from my deepest apologies, I'd like to announce two things:

First, yes, I have finished the entirety of Ep8, therefore it is safe to drop spoilers in the reviews.

Second, part of the problem was that I didn't know exactly how I wanted this to end. While "Endless Sorcerer" and "Eye of the Storm" followed their own continuities post-story ("End of the Golden Witch" and a hypothetical series ending respectively), my plan was for this to follow the original continuity but at the same time for it to have its own continuity, if that makes any sense. Now, I have it all planned out and it will carry over into the events of Ep8 but that won't come until towards the end so we won't be spending a lot of time there. I will also have three endings: A pro-fantasy ending, a pro-mystery ending, and an epilogue that could work for either one, rather than being a direct copy-and-paste of the original. My version of the ending will be _slightly_ happier than the real ending, but only _slightly,_ so don't get your hopes up _too_ high.

* * *

><p>11<p>

Time passed without notice. There were sunny days that were nice, but they were often overcast with clouds in the sky. It was on a cloud-free day that Beato woke up one morning to look at herself in the mirror to realize she had grown a small bump overnight. She ran her fingers over it and smiled, thinking about what was inside it and what it might look like.

_If_ it were born.

She heard Battler yawn and stretch in bed. He rolled over and looked up to see Beato standing in front of the mirror, rubbing the bump. "Ah," he said, getting out of bed, "I see you're getting a little bigger there, eh? Ihihihi!"

His laughter had a slight strain to it that he hoped Beato didn't notice. She appeared to, for her eyes grew misty and she sighed, "Yes, I am. And who knows if it'll ever get bigger than this at all?"

"Ah…still worried about Sento and Jessica, huh?" said Battler. "I caught on to the gist of this pretty quickly, and I'm sure Jessica will, too."

Beato stifled a laugh. "Are you so sure about that? You've come a long way, but you weren't exactly a genius when you first started out. And _you're_ the mystery novel fan."

"In any case," said Battler, wrapping his arms around Beato's stomach, "let's hope for the best."

"And even if Jessica wins? What will become of the baby then?" said Beato.

Battler didn't answer and instead lightly kissed her on the cheek, but not even this could soothe either of their worries.

* * *

><p>Despite the delicious aroma of the French toast in front of her, Jessica could only eat a few bites and chew upon them as though she were eating caramel candies. She looked around the table and caught the eyes of Battler, who was chatting with Beato. The ice between them had begun to defrost, but it was not entirely melted just yet, not that she could blame them. She'd be beyond furious if someone had bet the life of <em>her<em> child, too.

Jessica slid a piece of syrupy, buttery toast onto her fork and continued to think. Of course, she'd rather have Lion as her potential "sibling", definitely not Sento. With Sento around, she'd have to sleep with one eye open.

And possibly with a chastity belt.

She stabbed at her next piece and wondered just what it was Sento had against her. She could sort of see where he was coming from in his anger towards his family for abandoning him, but it was still no excuse for him to force her to bet the life of a child, or withhold _that_ little detail until just the right time.

Or that _smirk_ gah that _smirk…_it was enough to make Jessica want to punch him in the mouth. The more she thought about _him_ and that _stupid_ smirk, or those malicious eyes, or the way he _looked_ at her, the more she felt ready to get up and punch a hole through the wall. Every time she thought of Sento looking into her eyes and taunting her about her parents, about Yoshiya, she'd feel her heart race wildly and her palms sweat. But he wouldn't get the best of _her,_ oh no. In the end, _she_ would be the one to come out on top.

…_Wait, did that sound like what I think it did?_ Jessica thought. She groaned and shook her head, thinking, _Damn it, even when he isn't here, he STILL drives me crazy._

"Is something the matter, Jessica?" asked Ronove.

"No…no it's fine," sighed Jessica, piling up her leftover pieces of toast. "After breakfast, I think I'll be up for another round of practicing."

"Hmm…so it would appear we might be able to raise the argument that you were given to Natsuhi either before or after the birth of Sento, depending on the precise date of birth."

* * *

><p>Will and Lion were in the chapel, the former pacing back and forth, the latter sitting down on a bench and chewing their lower lip.<p>

"Can we find some way for my existence to be confirmed _without_ the baby's life being put in jeopardy?" asked Lion.

"Maybe," said Will. "I still don't know." He sighed, "That Sento has really got us in a corner, hasn't he?"

"I never liked him from the moment I met him," said Lion, standing up. "And I _especially_ don't like his behaviour around Jessica. He acts…I don't know…_un-brotherly._ And now the life of a child is at stake."

"Innocent lives are always at stake in detective novels," said Will, adjusting his sleeve jackets. "It's just one of many factors that makes the SSVD stressful."

"I should imagine," remarked Lion. Then, "Will…do you think it might be better if I denied my own existence for the sake of the child?"

"We'll have this debate resolved long before we ever have to stoop to that," said Will firmly. "I can, and I will, find a way for us to win without the child dying."

"How?" asked Lion.

To this, Will remained silent.


	12. Chapter 12

12

At the next meeting, Jessica had already thought up an idea about how she could determine who might be her potential sibling. While that had been relatively easy by itself, it would be executing the idea that would be hard, especially since it would mean having to get closer to Sento.

As everyone took their seats, Lambdadelta started:

"Well? You got something to put on the table or not, kid?"

"Actually," said Jessica, deciding to get it over with, "before we begin, there's something I need to announce."

She looked back and forth between the ambivalent Lion and the smug yet nonchalant Sento. "I could just sit here all day and debate over who's my brother or sister or whatever, but I _still_ wouldn't actually _know_ anything about either of you," said Jessica. "And so I was wondering if…"

She bit her lip, swallowed her pride, and said, "I invite you two to a tea party. At Beato's place, wherever that may be."

"_Whaaaa?"_ Lambdadelta stamped her foot. "Since when did I give _you_ permission to do _that,_ huuuuh?"

"I promise I won't talk about the actual game," said Jessica quickly. "I just want to work on building a relationship with them both."

"Oh?" said Sento, crossing his legs. "What _kind_ of relationship, dear sister?"

"A normal one between _siblings,"_ said Jessica tensely.

"I for one would be happy to go," declared Lion. "Just remember to behave yourself, Jessica; I know what you're like when asked to behave like a lady."

"And you would know any _better_ on being ladylike?" said Sento. "But I don't see any harm in going, as long as it's all right by my master."

"And it's _not_ all right!" insisted Lambdadelta. "I _certainly _don't—"

"Fine by me," shrugged Bernkastel as she took a sip of plum tea.

"Bu—bu—but _Bern…"_ whimpered Lambdadelta.

"If some quality time will make them realize the uselessness of ever being a 'happy family', then why not?" said Bernkastel, a cruel smile emanating from the edge of her lips. "Perhaps it will force them to realize the inevitability of their endless struggle and see how futile any hope of happiness really is. Besides, it's not as if Jessica can talk about anything related to the mystery even if she wanted to."

"Ga…guaahh, _fine,"_ snapped Lambdadelta, folding her arms and slouching, her bottom lip stuck out and her eyebrows turned down. "But only if Jessica comes to our play."

"Play?" said Jessica. "I never heard anything about—"

"So you _will_ come?" said Lambdadelta, bouncing in her seat.

"I—"

"Then it's a deal!" said Lambdadelta. "I'll let Sento go to your tea party, and you can come to our play, oka~y?"

"Um…fine," sighed Jessica. "Let's begin."

Bernkastel began, "Point one: How could Sento have been dropped off from the hospital into Kinzo's arms?"

"Wait, where's that Will guy?" said Jessica.

"Oh, he's running a bit late in his investigations," said Bernkastel. "But no matter, we'll start without him."

Jessica hesitated, wondering if this was fair to Lion or Will, never mind the baby.

"C'mon, c'mon, what are you waiting for?" urged Lambdadelta. "You don't plan on spending the next five hundred years in here, do you?"

"Mmm…fine," sighed Jessica. She cleared her throat and began: _"It is possible that Rudolf Ushiromiya bribed the hospital into giving Battler to Asumu, and then telling Kyrie she had a miscarriage. He did this to spare himself the task of raising two children and to get rid of any evidence that he was cheating. He might've planned it months in advance, together with Kinzo, and then handed him the baby."_

"Interesting, interesting," mused Sento. "That seems like a rather strong, favourable argument, wouldn't you agree, Master Lambdadelta?"

"Indeed!" declared Lambdadelta. **"I'll acknowledge it.** Next argument, Bern?"

"How did Sento survive his fall?" asked Bernkastel. "Any fall from that height can't be easy to escape without injury."

"_The servant who attended to him could have clutched him tightly as the two fell and while she died on impact, he could have made it out alive thanks to her sacrifice,"_ said Jessica.

"Hmm, that's a little _too_ convenient and stretches reality just a bit even for me," said Lambdadelta. "But whatever, **I'll** **acknowledge it.** Now—"

Lambdadelta was interrupted by the sudden arrival of two people: Will and Lion.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," said Will, adjusting his jacket. "Lion and I got a bit lost." He glared at Sento. "Apparently, _someone_ had given us the wrong directions."

"My mistake," said Sento with a smirk. "I'll try to be more careful in the future."

"Has the debate begun?" said Lion, taking a seat.

"You didn't expect us to sit around waiting for you _all_ day, did you?" said Sento.

"Now that you are here, we can listen to whatever arguments you have come up with in Lion's favour," said Bernkastel. "Do you have any idea how Lion could have come around to end up in Kinzo's arms in the first place?"

Will nodded grimly. "Oh yes, I do—I know the truth."

Bernkastel smiled. "Do you? You know the truth?"

"Indeed," said Will. "Nonetheless, I will present it with the blue: _There were two Beatrice's. The first was Beatrice Castiglioni, whom Kinzo met during his fighting days in World War II. She died giving birth to their daughter, and that daughter was given her namesake. As the daughter grew older, her resemblance to her mother became stronger, which drove Kinzo further and further to the brink of insanity."_

_Gramps…you didn't…oh gross…_

And then Will said what Jessica hoped he wouldn't say:

"_There was eventually a time when Kinzo viewed Beatrice less as a daughter and more as a reincarnation of her mother. He impregnated her with his child, and this child was Lion."_

"…Ah…ha…sorry, I think I just threw up in my mouth…" said Jessica weakly.

"It was a lot for me to take in, too," said Lion, wringing the hands.

Will finished with, _"To cover up this shameful affair, Kinzo could have presented this child to Natsuhi and told her to raise it as her own."_

"How dark, how twisted, how horrible…I love it," grinned Bernkastel. **"I'll acknowledge it.** That is all for today. You may go."

Oddly, there was something about Bernkastel's announcement that felt less than assuring.

* * *

><p>As soon as Jessica arrived at the mansion, she was greeted by a relieving sight: Beato was sitting outside stuffing her face full of cookies while Battler sat across from her tapping a pencil against the crossword puzzle spread out on the table.<p>

What made this sight relieving was how peaceful it looked. There were no worries about the baby, no concerns about the battle…just a happy couple enjoying a peaceful afternoon.

Jessica cleared her throat and said, "I'm back."

Battler looked up. "How did it go?"

"It went okay," said Jessica. "I think."

"Good to hear," said Battler, returning to his crossword without further acknowledgment.

Jessica supposed that even if they got out of here, it would still take time before Battler could fully forgive her. But still, she didn't want to just be ignored by him forever.

Jessica took a third seat beside Battler and said, "So what are you working on?" Even though she knew the answer, she figured she might as well start up a friendly conversation.

"Crossword," said Battler.

Jessica peered over his shoulder. Thirteen across—

"Do you mind?" said Battler, scooting further away from Jessica.

Jessica sighed and turned to Beato. "Hey, Beato?"

"Mmph?" Beato looked up. She had a cookie clamped between her lips while crumbs ran down her chin.

"Do you have everything prepared for the next tea party?" asked Jessica.

Beato shoved the cookie into her mouth and said, "They're _coming?"_

"Yep," said Jessica.

"_Both?"_ said Battler.

"Er…yeah," said Jessica.

"Including Sento," said Battler bluntly.

"That's kind of what 'both' implies," said Jessica.

Battler let out a mixture between a sigh and a groan.

"I'm not looking forward to this any more than you are, but maybe it'll help us to our advantage somehow," pointed out Jessica.

"Yeah," sighed Battler, slumping down in his chair. "Maybe."

Jessica looked up at the clear blue sky and thought:

_Just as long as Sento behaves himself we'll be fine…._


End file.
